On July 18th, 2013, the city of Detroit filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, becoming the largest city in American history to do so. Just four years earlier, Chrysler and General Motors—automobile companies that were long a staple of the Detroit economy—had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. “You hear stories about the Great Depression in the … Continue reading “How 3 Detroit Founders Built Tech Startups Despite City’s Bankruptcy”
Tag: Grand Circus
Roundup, Part I: TechHire Bootcamp, Genomenon, Leading2Lean, Cengage
Time flies when you’re working hard. Although summer is nearly over, Michigan’s startup clusters keep humming along. In fact, so much is happening, we’ve divided this roundup into two parts. Part two will run Sept. 4. Read on for recent innovation news from around the state. —Detroiters age 18 and older have until Friday to … Continue reading “Roundup, Part I: TechHire Bootcamp, Genomenon, Leading2Lean, Cengage”
Roundup: Startup Week Detroit, Grand Circus, MWCT, Duo Security, More
Summer is here, and with it, plenty of tech news from across Michigan. Startup Week Detroit kicks off on Monday, while other programs have fast-approaching application deadlines; grants have been awarded; milestones have been achieved; and new hires have been announced. Read on for details. —Techstars Startup Week Detroit, described by organizers as a weeklong … Continue reading “Roundup: Startup Week Detroit, Grand Circus, MWCT, Duo Security, More”
Roundup: Genomenon, Develop(her), QL Demo Day, MBA Summit & More
Michigan’s innovation community continues to pump out news at a steady clip. Here are some of the latest updates from around the state. —Ann Arbor’s Genomenon, a startup focused on genomic search data, has struck a new partnership with Boston’s Rhythm Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RYTM]]), a company working on treatments for rare obesity disorders. They will team up … Continue reading “Roundup: Genomenon, Develop(her), QL Demo Day, MBA Summit & More”
Five Years In, Grand Circus CEO Reflects on Detroit Tech, Coding Boom
It seems like it was only yesterday when we covered the debut of Detroit’s Grand Circus, but the tech school is celebrating its fifth anniversary. The local tech scene has grown since 2013, as has the popularity of Grand Circus and other coding schools nationwide, which run short-term programs aimed at bestowing the skills needed … Continue reading “Five Years In, Grand Circus CEO Reflects on Detroit Tech, Coding Boom”
Roundup, Part One: NextEnergy, Application Deadlines, U-M News, More
Even though we’re hardly two months into the year, 2018 has already been packed with local innovation news. In fact, we have so much material that we’re splitting this roundup into two parts; the second part will run later this week. Here’s a look at some of the recent tech news unfolding across Michigan: — … Continue reading “Roundup, Part One: NextEnergy, Application Deadlines, U-M News, More”
Roundup: Grand Circus, STEM Initiatives, and a Lot of Cybersecurity
—Grand Circus, the coding school with campuses in downtown Detroit and Grand Rapids, is partnering with Facebook to offer a front-end developer bootcamp in October. The training course will combine Grand Circus’ front-end curriculum with React, an open-source JavaScript platform. Successful applicants will receive full scholarships and training in HTML5/CSS3, JavaSript, jQuery, React, Node.js, NPM, AJAX, … Continue reading “Roundup: Grand Circus, STEM Initiatives, and a Lot of Cybersecurity”
Roundup: LLamasoft, TechHire Bootcamp, Application Deadlines Galore
Here’s a look at innovation news you may have missed from around Michigan: —LLamasoft, the Ann Arbor-based developer of supply chain software, announced today that TPG Capital has invested in the company. The specifics of the deal were not disclosed. LLamasoft marks TPG’s second foray into the supply-chain technology space, following its 2016 investment in Transporeon, a … Continue reading “Roundup: LLamasoft, TechHire Bootcamp, Application Deadlines Galore”
Roundup: GreenLight Winners, Develop the Mitten, WaitTime & More
Here’s a look at innovation news from across Michigan: —Thanks in part to a $450,000 performance-based grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund, Huntington Bank announced it will invest $5.4 million in a downtown Flint expansion. The company plans to renovate its call center at the former regional headquarters of FirstMerit, which the bank acquired last year, and … Continue reading “Roundup: GreenLight Winners, Develop the Mitten, WaitTime & More”
MI Roundup: BlueWater Angels, Hygieia, FastTrack Awards, Grand Circus & More
Here’s a look at innovation news across Michigan: —Thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan‘s Detroit Auto Dealer’s Association Fund, Grand Circus is teaching after-school coding classes to local kids as part of the Detroit Boxing Gym Youth Program. The twice-weekly classes began in November, will teach a range of … Continue reading “MI Roundup: BlueWater Angels, Hygieia, FastTrack Awards, Grand Circus & More”
Detroit in Tech Aims to Boost Diversity, Connect Startups to Resources
A new project to support minority entrepreneurs by highlighting their work and connecting them with the resources they need to grow their companies has launched in the Motor City. Detroit in Tech, a collaboration between Grand Circus, Google for Entrepreneurs, and Code2040, seeks to even the playing field in a growing ecosystem. According to Detroit … Continue reading “Detroit in Tech Aims to Boost Diversity, Connect Startups to Resources”
Do You Have What It Takes to Dive Into “Shark Tank”?
Calling all Detroit entrepreneurs: “Shark Tank,” the popular ABC show that offers startups the chance to pitch their business ventures to potential investors, will be in Detroit next week in search of contestants. Values Partnerships, Grand Circus, and Brandcamp University are working with the show’s producers to recruit a more diverse set of ideas and … Continue reading “Do You Have What It Takes to Dive Into “Shark Tank”?”
Roundup: MSU and U-M Startups, DEVELOP(her), Hatch Detroit & More
Here’s a look at startup and innovation news from around Michigan: —On April 13, three startup teams from Michigan State University hit Chicago for the National Automatic Merchandising Association OneShow event, a food service and vending trade show, to compete in the Swim with the Sharks pitch contest. Bringitt, a peer-to-peer shipping network; Ineed, an app … Continue reading “Roundup: MSU and U-M Startups, DEVELOP(her), Hatch Detroit & More”
SPLT Competes at Google Demo Day, Gets Steve Case’s Attention
SPLT, the Techstars Mobility alum now based in Detroit, has spent the past few months crisscrossing the globe to take part in startup competitions and other events as it continues to rapidly grow. This week, the enterprise ridesharing startup that connects employees within organizations to share their commute is out in Mountain View, CA, as … Continue reading “SPLT Competes at Google Demo Day, Gets Steve Case’s Attention”
Genomenon, SPLT, Entrocim Compete to Pitch at Google Demo Day in CA
Three Detroit-area startups are vying for a spot in a national pitch contest at Google’s California headquarters, after winning the third annual Google Demo Day held in downtown Detroit on Tuesday. The winners were SPLT, Entrocim, and Genomenon. Over the next few weeks, Google will choose one of those finalists to head to Mountain View, … Continue reading “Genomenon, SPLT, Entrocim Compete to Pitch at Google Demo Day in CA”
MI Roundup: Automation Alley, Baker College, Google DevFest, & More
Here’s a look at startup and innovation news from around Michigan: —Automation Alley, a Southeast Michigan technology business association, has released its annual economic report, and it contains a bold prediction: The region will outperform Silicon Valley in several key areas, including revenue, R&D investment, and hiring. To compile the report, Automation Alley surveyed senior … Continue reading “MI Roundup: Automation Alley, Baker College, Google DevFest, & More”
Free Program Teaches Detroiters Skills Needed to Go After IT Jobs
Downtown Detroit tech training institute Grand Circus has successfully launched a free new apprenticeship program open to all Motor City residents. The Department of Labor Computer Programming Apprenticeship is a five-week, full-time Java bootcamp that aims to give participants the skills to claim one of Detroit’s many open IT jobs. “The ideal candidate for the … Continue reading “Free Program Teaches Detroiters Skills Needed to Go After IT Jobs”
Roundup: U-M, Grand Circus, Quicken Loans, MI Science Center & More
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —The Zell Family Foundation announced this week that it has pledged another $60 million to the University of Michigan’s Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Ross School of Business. The money will provide endowed funding for the institute and its programs for students … Continue reading “Roundup: U-M, Grand Circus, Quicken Loans, MI Science Center & More”
#Hack4detroit Seeks to Improve City Services Through Open Data Portal
We started the week out talking about hackathons in Detroit, and we’ll finish the week the same way, although #hack4detroit has a twist: Participants are using the city of Detroit’s open data portal to create apps that will benefit city residents or help streamline operations. Automation Alley’s #hack4detroit event starts at 7 p.m. tonight at … Continue reading “#Hack4detroit Seeks to Improve City Services Through Open Data Portal”
Ford STEAM Lab, #YesWeCode Collaborate on Hackathon in Detroit
A few weeks ago, I was talking with the team behind Growth Strats, a Detroit-based consultancy that aims to create a nationwide model for incubating new ventures from urban entrepreneurs. All of the Growth Strats co-founders happen to be men of color. I asked the Growth Strats partners about access to capital and resources, and … Continue reading “Ford STEAM Lab, #YesWeCode Collaborate on Hackathon in Detroit”
MI Roundup: U-M, Duo Security, MGCS, NVCA, Grand Circus
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: — After repeatedly hearing from business owners who need more employees with .NET expertise, software guru Bill Wagner is teaming with Grand Circus to offer a .NET bootcamp this spring. Having .NET skills is critical for developers working in the corporate world, Wagner says, and … Continue reading “MI Roundup: U-M, Duo Security, MGCS, NVCA, Grand Circus”
LevelEleven, AdAdapted, and Genomenon Win Google’s Detroit Demo Day
Three Detroit-area startups will vie for a spot in a pitch contest at Google’s California headquarters this spring, after winning the second annual Google Demo Day in downtown Detroit last Thursday. The winners, announced Monday, were LevelEleven, AdAdapted, and Genomenon. Of the three finalists, one company will be chosen in mid-February to head to Mountain … Continue reading “LevelEleven, AdAdapted, and Genomenon Win Google’s Detroit Demo Day”
Roundup: Hacker Fellows, Cleantech Open, Seelio, MLSIC, More
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation community: —Invest Detroit and Grand Circus, part tech school and part community center, are seeking applicants for a new Hacker Fellows program, which places software developers in jobs at Michigan start-ups. Graduating seniors with computer-related degrees from accredited universities will be selected for a six-week session … Continue reading “Roundup: Hacker Fellows, Cleantech Open, Seelio, MLSIC, More”
MVCA: 2014 is Shaping Up to Be A Banner Year for Michigan Startups
According to data released last week by the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), the third quarter of 2014 was a busy one in the state of Michigan. The NVCA’s report, based on information collected by Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Thomson Reuters, says that Michigan-based startups raised a total of $2.2 million in four venture deals during … Continue reading “MVCA: 2014 is Shaping Up to Be A Banner Year for Michigan Startups”
NEI Embeds at Co-Working Spaces to Better Connect with Entrepreneurs
A well-funded nonprofit that gives grants to Detroit-area entrepreneurs plans to station some of its staff members in the region’s co-working offices, hoping that an “in the trenches” perspective will help it better understand what startup founders need to succeed. “It’s more effective and it gives us more flexibility,” says Jim Boyle, spokesman for the … Continue reading “NEI Embeds at Co-Working Spaces to Better Connect with Entrepreneurs”
Roundup: U-M, Grand Circus, MTAM, Automation Alley, Delphinius, MBI
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hot spots: —The Zell Lurie Institute at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business has been named one of the top three graduate entrepreneurship programs in the country for the third year in a row. The rankings are compiled by the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur … Continue reading “Roundup: U-M, Grand Circus, MTAM, Automation Alley, Delphinius, MBI”
U-M Launches New Accelerator Open to All Michigan Startups
The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and College of Engineering have teamed up to launch the Desai Family Accelerator, which will help support early-stage ventures with mentorship and financial resources. Plus, there’s a twist: Despite being backed by U-M, the accelerator is open to any Michigan startup. “They don’t have to have a … Continue reading “U-M Launches New Accelerator Open to All Michigan Startups”
Assemble Aims to Create Disruptive, Online Chamber of Commerce
When Kate Catlin, a Venture for America fellow based in Detroit, biked across the country the summer before her freshman year of college, she was struck by how many mom and pop businesses had been closed and boarded up in the towns she passed through. “We’d ask people where the businesses went, and they would … Continue reading “Assemble Aims to Create Disruptive, Online Chamber of Commerce”
Venture for America Fellows Fall in Love with Detroit, Start TernPro
After Brian Bosche graduated from Dartmouth in 2012, he headed for Detroit, sight unseen, as part of the Venture for America program. “I had heard not-great things in the media, but seeing all the development and the startup scene really impressed me,” he says. “I realized it was a community I wanted to be a … Continue reading “Venture for America Fellows Fall in Love with Detroit, Start TernPro”
Automation Alley’s #hackDPL Event Yields New Library App
When the tech and business association Automation Alley opened an office in Detroit last fall, it wanted to find a way to give back to the community. Officials with the Detroit Public Library (DPL) had said to Automation Alley’s director of member relations, Cynthia Hutchison, that they were concerned that the library was behind other … Continue reading “Automation Alley’s #hackDPL Event Yields New Library App”
AOL Founder Steve Case: Detroit Has All the Ingredients for a Comeback
The Rise of the Rest bus tour kicked off in Detroit yesterday as part of a broader effort to shine a national spotlight on a shift in the geography of high-growth entrepreneurship and the emergence of strong startup ecosystems in the nation’s heartland. The bus tour, sponsored by AOL founder and philanthropist Steve Case’s company … Continue reading “AOL Founder Steve Case: Detroit Has All the Ingredients for a Comeback”
MI Roundup: BANSEM’s Impact, Versicor, Hatch Detroit, Co-Lab Detroit
Here’s a look at recent news from Michigan’s innovation hubs: —Today, Ann Arbor SPARK, Automation Alley, Macomb-OU Incubator, and TechTown Detroit announced their collective impact on Michigan’s innovation economy: 7,725 technology jobs and 225 technology companies created. Those companies have gone on to garner $300 million in follow-on investment. After a $3 million grant from … Continue reading “MI Roundup: BANSEM’s Impact, Versicor, Hatch Detroit, Co-Lab Detroit”
Steve Case’s “Rise of the Rest” Startup Tour to Kick Off in Detroit
Investor and AOL co-founder Steve Case announced on Thursday he will embark on a bus tour in June to highlight emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems. Called “Rise of the Rest” and co-sponsored by UP Global, Revolution, and Google for Entrepreneurs, the tour kicks off in Detroit on June 24 and continues on to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Nashville. … Continue reading “Steve Case’s “Rise of the Rest” Startup Tour to Kick Off in Detroit”
Osborn Students Go Inside the Tech Bubble With Grand Circus Program
On Monday afternoon, a group of students from Detroit’s Osborn High School sat on the fourth floor of the Grand Circus office downtown, glued to their computer screens. They were there as part of a 10-week pilot program, in partnership with the Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation, called the Hacker Society—which aims to teach kids outside … Continue reading “Osborn Students Go Inside the Tech Bubble With Grand Circus Program”
Microsoft Ventures Opens Downtown Detroit Office
Microsoft Ventures today announced it will open an office in downtown Detroit’s Madison Building, the Dan Gilbert-owned tech hub that houses homegrown startups like UpTo and Detroit Labs as well as the local offices of tech giants like Google and Twitter. Microsoft Ventures partners with startups to offer funding, acceleration services, or general mentorship. According … Continue reading “Microsoft Ventures Opens Downtown Detroit Office”
Roundup: Google Demo Day, Merit Network, U-M, Plymouth Ventures
Here’s a look at some of the news from around Michigan’s innovation ecosystem that you might have missed: —Google Demo Day, where seven Detroit startups pitched to win a chance to present their business ideas to a group of Google executives during an April trip to Mountain View, CA, was held last week at Grand … Continue reading “Roundup: Google Demo Day, Merit Network, U-M, Plymouth Ventures”
Uber Launches Lower-Priced UberX Service in Detroit
Uber, the on-demand, app-based car service that established operations in Detroit last March, has now launched its lower-priced offering, UberX, in the Motor City. UberX is based on more of a ride-share model than Uber’s black car service, which aims to make drivers feel as if they have their own personal chauffeur. Riders summon UberX … Continue reading “Uber Launches Lower-Priced UberX Service in Detroit”
Google Partners with Technology Hubs in 7 Cities
Google’s outreach program for entrepreneurs is planting its flag in seven new outposts in the U.S. and Canada with new “tech hubs” that will offer technical and infrastructure support for fledgling tech startups, the company announced today. The six U.S. cities are Denver, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Nashville, TN, and Durham, NC. The only Canadian city … Continue reading “Google Partners with Technology Hubs in 7 Cities”
Detroit’s Grand Circus Wants to Nurture Local Community’s Tech Talent
Part technology, business, and design training institute; part co-working space; and part event space, Grand Circus is the Quicken Loans family’s newest tool in Detroit to “elevate the tech profile of the community,” says co-founder Brad Hoos. It’s widely acknowledged that there’s a huge shortage of developer talent in Detroit, and Grand Circus’s organizers want … Continue reading “Detroit’s Grand Circus Wants to Nurture Local Community’s Tech Talent”